


Destiny

by HollyShadow88



Series: ABCs of Harry Potter [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Awkward Romance, F/M, Fluff and Humor, French Characters, Gringotts Wizarding Bank, Humor, Office Romance, Original Character(s), Post - Goblet of Fire, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Half-Blood Prince, Romance, Second meeting, Triwizard Tournament, if the French is wrong blame google translate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-21
Updated: 2014-07-21
Packaged: 2018-02-09 20:59:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1997604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HollyShadow88/pseuds/HollyShadow88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Freshly graduated and attempting to move on from the events of the Final Task, Fleur takes up a job at Gringotts in London to help improve her English.  Little does she suspect the familiar face that will find her and lead her on her way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Destiny

**Author's Note:**

> Ah, Fleur Delacour. Not my favorite character, I must admit. I also claim nearly complete ignorance of the French language, making this story particularly difficult. Anything actually written in French comes from Google Translate, so if they're wrong, I'm dreadfully sorry. As for my attempts at writing her English speech in a French dialect...well, let me know how I did, decent or terrible. It's my first attempt at writing so, and I'll only be able to improve with constructive criticism! This scene plays off the fact that, after the Triwizard Tournament, Fleur takes a job at Gringotts and meets Bill. I enjoy putting characters into awkward situations. I added the PTSD tag because I imagine that what happened at the final task would have an effect on all of the remaining champions, particularly given the situation Fleur is in during the task and where she finds herself in this story.

Fleur nervously smoothed down her lavender robes as she climbed the bank’s marble steps, eying the entrance warily. She reasoned with herself silently, for what seemed like the thousandth time since she awoke that morning, that accepting the part time job at Gringotts was the appropriate decision. Attempting to ignore the threatening notice posted defiantly on the door, she pushed her way inside, fighting with the early morning crowds attempting to make a quick withdrawal before setting off for work. She glanced to the right, where a long row of heavily laden desks, a witch or wizard furiously working at each, rested. Approaching what appeared to be a secretary, she pulled out the parchment of significant information she’d been sent a month ago and passed it to the sweetly smiling woman.

“Richard Burke?” she chirped brightly after reading Fleur’s offering. “His office is located on the fourth floor, room 618. Would you like any help finding it?”

“Zat will not be necessary,” she replied smoothly, making for the lifts behind the row of desks. She felt fairly confident in her ability to locate a single office; though she did not win, she **was** a Triwizard Champion, after all, and she doubted such a simple task would take too much toil. Her sharp heels made a faint clicking sound resonate through the vast room as she entered an available lift, a manicured finger pressing the appropriate switch. To her surprise, it began to descend – she had always assumed that only the vaults lay underground. Quickly regaining her composure, she waited for it to come to a halt once more and emerged into a dimly lit corridor.

After nearly three quarters of an hour of attempting to unravel the maze of eerily similar hallways, Fleur was nearly on the verge of tears. Her meeting with Mr. Burke was for eleven a.m. precisely; after glancing at her elegant wristwatch, she determined that she had less than a half an hour to locate him. She fought down the familiar sense of claustrophobia and tense anxiety as memories of the final task overtook her. She knew she had nothing to fear in the bank, but it had only been a few months since that day, and she still found that she did not do well in areas that were too encompassed without a visible exit. She rested a trembling hand against the wall, closing her eyes and taking several deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself, when a vaguely familiar voice stated her name.

“Miss Delacour?” the masculine tone asked with concern. She twirled about to take in the tall redhead, brows raised questioningly. More memories flashed back to her, though these were significantly more pleasant – he was one of the many Weasleys, she felt certain, an elder brother of the boy who helped save Gabrielle at the second task. A reassuring wave of gratitude flew through her as he slowly approached, not entirely sure if she recognized him.

“Monsieur Weasley,” she replied with a sigh and an attempt at a smile. “It iz a pleasure to zee you again.”

He smiled back down at her, shaking the offered hand. His significantly dwarfed her own, encompassing it almost completely in its calloused grip. She felt a faint rush of heat attack her cheeks and fought to keep the unfamiliar reaction in check. “The pleasure is certainly mine,” he replied, adjusting the stack of parchment back more comfortably in his arms. “What are you doing in Gringotts?”

“Attempting to uncover my new employer,” she replied, embarrassed as the blush defiantly remained. He nodded knowingly and gestured for her to follow at his side.

“Who are you looking for? These hallways can become quite labyrinthine if one is unfamiliar with them.” A look of concern crossed his face as he studied her closer. “I did not mean to remind you of – “

“It iz fine,” she was quick to reply. “Ze thought ‘ad already come to me, I assure you. I am looking for a Monsieur Richard Burke – might you be able to point me in ze right direction?”

His smile returned, though a somewhat softened and more reluctant version of the one before. “I’ll do you one better, Miss Delacour, and show you to him myself.” They strolled down the corridor in silence, Fleur’s frantic heartbeat slowing down considerably now that she had gained a guide. A highly favorable guide, she could not help but note as she stole a sidelong glance at the slightly older gentleman. He was handsome, though not in the classical way that she was, with his lean yet muscular body, long hair, and pleasant face. A moment later he cleared his throat, sneaking his own glance down at her.

“How are you doing, after…you know,” he asked quietly, sympathy in his bright blue eyes. He quickly continued, “If you don’t mind my asking, of course.”

“I do not mind,” she replied quietly, resolutely staring forward. “It iz hard, zome days. Cedric waz **mon concurrence** , my competition, but he was a good man. ‘e, and ‘arry and Viktor, we became friends. We cannot go through zuch an ordeal without it becoming zo. Zometimes I am reminded…I am cautious in ze water, and exits…I find I must know where to find zem. It iz foolish, I know.”

“Not foolish,” he said firmly, meeting her eyes when she turned to stare. “Cautious, and for good reason, particularly now. We’ve no way of knowing what could happen.” They continued to watch each other silently, frozen in the middle of the seemingly empty corridor, until a loud voice made them both jump.

“Bill Weasley, what are you doing to my new staff member, hmm?” A stout man lumbered forward, looking between the two knowingly. Fleur was frustrated as once again her face heated, but she refused to hurl the snappy insult in favor of doing well on her very first day. She grew reassured when her companion’s countenance turned nearly as scarlet as his ponytail.

“Miss Delacour and I are acquaintances, Rich,” he hurriedly explained as she straightened slightly. “She lost her way to your office, so I was helping.”

“Helping. Yes, of course.” Mr. Burke smirked at the two before gesturing her forward. “Come along, Miss Delacour; you’re just in time.”

Fleur turned back to Bill a final time as her employer sauntered away. “ **Merci pour votre aide** , Monsieur Weasley. I ‘ope we shall zee one anozer soon.”

He grinned broadly and grasped her hand again, brushing his lips softly over her fingers. “I look forward to it.”

She merely nodded, unable to find her voice, and rushed after Mr. Burke. Before she could regain her composure, however, he called out to her.

“Fleur? If you need anything…help, or, or anything…let me know.”

Sending him a sly smile, she replied, “You shall zee the sparks if I do.” His amused chuckle followed her as she set off to rejoin her employer.


End file.
